State profile · IA · Clery Act

Safest Colleges in Iowa

Federal Clery Act filings for all 75 tracked Iowa campuses, ranked by 2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students. Among nonzero reporters, Eastern Iowa Community College District currently has the lowest rate.

75
Institutions tracked
5.37
Avg campus rate / 1k (75 of 75 scored)
3.52
Statewide rate / 1k
#54
Rank by avg campus rate
208,398
Students enrolled

Among nonzero Clery reporters, Eastern Iowa Community College District has the lowest rate in Iowa

According to U.S. Department of Education Clery Act filings, across 75 tracked campuses in Iowa, 36 reported zero 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents used in the rate; among campuses with any in those categories, Eastern Iowa Community College District has the lowest rate at 0.13 per 1,000 students. This comparison excludes other Clery tables and unreported harm, so review the details before drawing a safety conclusion.

Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey

campuses tracked
75
average campus, per 1,000 (75 of 75 scored)
5.37
lowest nonzero rate - Eastern Iowa Community
0.13
campuses at zero in score categories
36

Data updated August 2026

Clery Act plate

Sheet IA · Iowa 5.37/1k campus avg · #54/59

RATE-HIGH · RANK-BOTTOM · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-MIX · WT-SMALL-HOT · BOOK-FULL · CONC-MID

  • RATE-HIGH 5.37/1k
  • RANK-BOTTOM #54/59
  • BELOW-PEER Kansas · 0.22 back
  • ZERO-MIX 48% zero
  • WT-SMALL-HOT Δ +1.85
  • BOOK-FULL 75/75
  • CONC-MID top5 51%

Nearest campus-rate peer: Kansas (+0.22/1k)

Iowa sheet RATE-HIGH · RANK-BOTTOM · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-MIX · WT-SMALL-HOT · BOOK-FULL · CONC-MID · peer Kansas. Codes from this state’s OPE Campus Safety filing: unweighted campus rate, corpus rank (low = safer), photo-finish peer state, zero-report share, campus-vs-weighted gap, scored book, top-five enrollment concentration. Not a moving recommendation.

Clery plate RATE-HIGH · RANK-BOTTOM · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-MIX · WT-SMALL-HOT · BOOK-FULL · CONC-MID. Nearest unweighted-rate peer is Kansas (+0.22/1k). Among nonzero reporters inside the state, Eastern Iowa Community College District leads at 0.13/1k. Instrument codes from this state's OPE Campus Safety sheet; compare similarly sized campuses before treating any single rate as decisive.

Iowa's unweighted average campus rate is higher than most scored U.S. states (only 8% of states report a higher average). Even so, Eastern Iowa Community College District leads nonzero reporters here at 0.13/1k, with Kirkwood Community College (0.39/1k); Hawkeye Community College (0.59/1k) next. The five largest campuses account for 51% of enrollment, weigh large-campus rates separately from small ones.

Campus-rate neighbourhood around Iowa

Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Iowa on unweighted average campus Clery rate. Full ladder: /rankings/.

per 1,000 students

What this shows Neighbourhood of scored states around Iowa's 5.37/1k unweighted campus average, not a full 50-state board reprint.

Source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey (Clery Act) As of 2024

Safest colleges in Iowa, ranked by reported rate

Ranked from the lowest 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA rate upward, counting only the 39 Iowa campuses with at least one incident in those score categories. Positions are numbered within that group, because a rank counted through the zero-score campuses below would order them by nothing.

6
Dordt University Sioux Center · 1,952 students
Enrollment
1,952
Incidents /1k
1.02
8
Wartburg College Waverly · 1,483 students
Enrollment
1,483
Incidents /1k
1.35
10
Simpson College Indianola · 1,251 students
Enrollment
1,251
Incidents /1k
1.60
12
Allen College Waterloo · 483 students
Enrollment
483
Incidents /1k
2.07
19
Drake University Des Moines · 4,345 students
Enrollment
4,345
Incidents /1k
3.68
26
Cornell College Mount Vernon · 1,094 students
Enrollment
1,094
Incidents /1k
4.57
27
Loras College Dubuque · 1,189 students
Enrollment
1,189
Incidents /1k
5.05
28
Luther College Decorah · 1,384 students
Enrollment
1,384
Incidents /1k
5.06
31
Central College Pella · 1,084 students
Enrollment
1,084
Incidents /1k
7.38
36
Coe College Cedar Rapids · 1,195 students
Enrollment
1,195
Incidents /1k
10.88
37
Grinnell College Grinnell · 1,788 students
Enrollment
1,788
Incidents /1k
11.19
# Campus EnrollmentIncidents /1k
1 Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport · 7,426 students 7,426 0.13 4% of the leader · rank #1
2 Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids · 12,763 students 12,763 0.39 4% of the leader · rank #2
3 Hawkeye Community College Waterloo · 5,120 students 5,120 0.59 4% of the leader · rank #3
4 Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical Center West Des Moines · 1,534 students 1,534 0.65 4% of the leader · rank #4
5 Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City · 5,482 students 5,482 0.91 4% of the leader · rank #5
6 Dordt University Sioux Center · 1,952 students 1,952 1.02 4% of the leader · rank #6
7 Upper Iowa University Fayette · 3,941 students 3,941 1.27 4% of the leader · rank #7
8 Wartburg College Waverly · 1,483 students 1,483 1.35 4% of the leader · rank #8
9 Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge · 4,949 students 4,949 1.41 4% of the leader · rank #9
10 Simpson College Indianola · 1,251 students 1,251 1.60 4% of the leader · rank #10
11 Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa · 3,184 students 3,184 1.88 4% of the leader · rank #11
12 Allen College Waterloo · 483 students 483 2.07 4% of the leader · rank #12
13 Briar Cliff University Sioux City · 947 students 947 2.11 4% of the leader · rank #13
14 Palmer College of Chiropractic Davenport · 2,161 students 2,161 2.31 4% of the leader · rank #14
15 Northwestern College Orange City · 1,705 students 1,705 2.35 4% of the leader · rank #15
16 Morningside University Sioux City · 2,056 students 2,056 2.43 4% of the leader · rank #16
17 Iowa State University Ames · 30,380 students 30,380 3.29 4% of the leader · rank #17
18 Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines · 869 students 869 3.45 4% of the leader · rank #18
19 Drake University Des Moines · 4,345 students 4,345 3.68 4% of the leader · rank #19
20 Aveda Institute-Des Moines West Des Moines · 244 students 244 4.10 4% of the leader · rank #20
21 Clarke University Dubuque · 962 students 962 4.16 4% of the leader · rank #21
22 Buena Vista University Storm Lake · 1,890 students 1,890 4.23 4% of the leader · rank #22
23 Maharishi International University Fairfield · 2,592 students 2,592 4.24 4% of the leader · rank #23
24 Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs · 5,540 students 5,540 4.51 4% of the leader · rank #24
25 Graceland University-Lamoni Lamoni · 1,102 students 1,102 4.54 4% of the leader · rank #25
26 Cornell College Mount Vernon · 1,094 students 1,094 4.57 4% of the leader · rank #26
27 Loras College Dubuque · 1,189 students 1,189 5.05 4% of the leader · rank #27
28 Luther College Decorah · 1,384 students 1,384 5.06 4% of the leader · rank #28
29 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls · 9,278 students 9,278 6.14 4% of the leader · rank #29
30 Saint Ambrose University Davenport · 2,498 students 2,498 6.81 4% of the leader · rank #30
31 Central College Pella · 1,084 students 1,084 7.38 4% of the leader · rank #31
32 William Penn University Oskaloosa · 1,425 students 1,425 7.72 4% of the leader · rank #32
33 Waldorf University Forest City · 2,225 students 2,225 8.54 4% of the leader · rank #33
34 Grand View University Des Moines · 1,856 students 1,856 8.62 4% of the leader · rank #34
35 University of Iowa Iowa City · 30,779 students 30,779 9.58 4% of the leader · rank #35
36 Coe College Cedar Rapids · 1,195 students 1,195 10.88 5% of the leader · rank #36
37 Grinnell College Grinnell · 1,788 students 1,788 11.19 5% of the leader · rank #37
38 University of Dubuque Dubuque · 1,757 students 1,757 14.23 6% of the leader · rank #38
39 Mercy-St Luke's School of Radiologic Technology Cedar Rapids · 21 students 21 238.10 100% of the leader · rank #39

Unranked campuses (36): zero score or no normalized rate

36 filed zero 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents in the score categories; other Clery tables can still contain reports. Neither group supports a safety ordering, so these campuses are listed alphabetically without positions. Showing 15 alphabetically; the remaining 21 stay out of this HTML table so large states stay crawlable.

# Campus EnrollmentIncidents /1k
American Hair Academy Mt. Pleasant · 25 students 25 0.00
Body Wisdom Massage Therapy School Urbandale · 45 students 45 0.00
Capri College-Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids · 129 students 129 0.00
Capri College-Davenport Davenport · 135 students 135 0.00
Capri College-Dubuque Dubuque · 165 students 165 0.00
Carlson College of Massage Therapy Anamosa · 39 students 39 0.00
Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny · 23,697 students 23,697 0.00
Divine Word College Epworth · 64 students 64 0.00
Ellsworth Community College Iowa Falls · 685 students 685 0.00
Emmaus Bible College Dubuque · 234 students 234 0.00
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary Ankeny · 611 students 611 0.00
Faust Institute of Cosmetology-Spirit Lake Spirit Lake · 22 students 22 0.00
Iowa Lakes Community College Estherville · 1,945 students 1,945 0.00
Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines Des Moines · 74 students 74 0.00
Iowa School of Beauty-Sioux City Sioux City · 67 students 67 0.00

Open any remaining campus from the school directory or the incident tool.

The largest universities in Iowa by enrollment

Enrollment leaders: University of Iowa (30,779); Iowa State University (30,380); Des Moines Area Community College (23,697), then 72 more. The 15 biggest Iowa institutions by total enrolled students, from the same federal IPEDS collection, each shown with its 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA rate. The five largest alone account for 51% of the 208,398 students enrolled across all 75 tracked Iowa institutions. Mid-pack by size sits near Coe College (1,195 students, 10.88/1k).

12
Drake University Des Moines · 4,345 students
Enrollment
4,345
Incidents /1k
3.68
# Institution EnrollmentIncidents /1k
1 University of Iowa Iowa City · 30,779 students 30,779 100% of the leader · rank #1 9.58
2 Iowa State University Ames · 30,380 students 30,380 99% of the leader · rank #2 3.29
3 Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny · 23,697 students 23,697 77% of the leader · rank #3 0.00
4 Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids · 12,763 students 12,763 41% of the leader · rank #4 0.39
5 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls · 9,278 students 9,278 30% of the leader · rank #5 6.14
6 Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport · 7,426 students 7,426 24% of the leader · rank #6 0.13
7 Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs · 5,540 students 5,540 18% of the leader · rank #7 4.51
8 Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City · 5,482 students 5,482 18% of the leader · rank #8 0.91
9 Hawkeye Community College Waterloo · 5,120 students 5,120 17% of the leader · rank #9 0.59
10 Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge · 4,949 students 4,949 16% of the leader · rank #10 1.41
11 Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar · 4,808 students 4,808 16% of the leader · rank #11 0.00
12 Drake University Des Moines · 4,345 students 4,345 14% of the leader · rank #12 3.68
13 Upper Iowa University Fayette · 3,941 students 3,941 13% of the leader · rank #13 1.27
14 Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa · 3,184 students 3,184 10% of the leader · rank #14 1.88
15 Southeastern Community College West Burlington · 3,028 students 3,028 10% of the leader · rank #15 0.00

Enrollment is total reported students, not full-time equivalent, and a branch campus is reported separately from its parent institution. A larger campus is not a less safe one: the incident rate beside it is already per 1,000 students.

Nationwide states with similar campus scale or Clery rate

Two nationwide peer sets for Iowa: closest on tracked campus count (75 here) and closest on unweighted average 2024 Clery rate (5.37/1k here). The rate-neighbourhood and keep-peer blocks above stay geo-adjacent; these columns are cross-state ABS comparisons with deduped link sets.

Similar campus count

Nearest other states by number of tracked postsecondary institutions (≥5 scored campuses in corpus).

Similar campus Clery rate

Nearest other states by unweighted average on-campus Clery rate. Campus-count peers above are excluded.

Read with this state

Keep-peer handoff: Kansas sits nearest on unweighted campus average (+0.22/1k). Inside Iowa, open Eastern Iowa Community College District's campus sheet next.

Eastern Iowa Community College District profile → | All states → | Iowa net price → | Incident tool → | Methodology →

Iowa campus safety FAQ

What are the safest colleges in Iowa?

Among Iowa campuses that reported at least one 2024 Criminal Offense or VAWA incident in the Clery categories used here, Eastern Iowa Community College District has the lowest rate (0.13 per 1,000 students). Next among nonzero reporters: Kirkwood Community College (0.39/1k); Hawkeye Community College (0.59/1k). 36 campuses reported zero in those score categories and are listed separately without a safety ordinal, because a zero report is not the same as a proven safer campus.

How does PlainCampus rank campus safety in Iowa?

In Iowa, campuses with any 2024 Criminal Offenses or VAWA incidents in the score categories are ordered by incidents per 1,000 students - Eastern Iowa Community College District currently leads that nonzero list at 0.13/1k. Zero-report and unscored campuses stay unranked and alphabetical. See /methodology for the full rate definition.

How many colleges in Iowa are compared?

This page covers 75 tracked higher-education institutions in Iowa, serving about 208,398 enrolled students combined across 42 cities. 39 carry a ranked nonzero rate; 36 are listed without a safety ordinal. By enrollment the largest are University of Iowa (30,779); Iowa State University (30,380); Des Moines Area Community College (23,697). Nearby state averages for context: Kansas (5.58/1k); New Mexico (4.89/1k); Rhode Island (4.86/1k); Missouri (4.22/1k); Delaware (4.05/1k); Minnesota (3.73/1k).

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.